About

Senufo peoples

Côte d'Ivoire

Female Ancestor Bust, ca. 1920

Not On View

Wood (fruitwood)

Dimensions: 11 × 4 1/4 × 4 1/2 in. (27.9 × 10.8 × 11.4 cm)

Gift of Dr. Robert and Deanna Harris Burger, 2011.73

This carved female figure is a common types of African sculpture. In the Senufo tribe in Africa, it is believed that art can act as a conduit to the spirit world, permit supernatural forces entry into the human world, or bestow good or ill fortune on humankind. Often objects communicate the rules and customs that members of the societies are expected to follow.